MENU-AIDDs increases resident participation and staff capacity in group home food systems

This presentation reports on two elements of the MENU-AIDDs (Materials supporting Education and Nutrition for Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities) efficacy study undertaken with residential services providers. While several measures of dietary intake and physiological change are measured in the study, in this presentation we want to focus on the variables “consumer participation” and “staff capacity.” Both of these constructs improved significantly with the implementation of the MENU-AIDDs program in the study sites. Together with a council of consumer advocates, we developed a measure of food system participation for individuals who reside in community-based group homes. The parameters include direct participation in food-related tasks (e.g. menu planning, cooking), expressed interest and preferences related to food, the extent to which home staff are aware of the individual's preferences and special dietary needs, and the extent to which the individuals' food preferences were reflected in the home menus. Direct care staff in the group homes were responsible for many of the food related tasks, including meal and menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, accommodating individuals' special dietary needs, and appropriately encouraging healthy eating behavior. This staff capacity was measured at baseline and six months post-MENU-AIDDs training in the study group homes. Significant improvements were shown in staff capacity, including competence and self-efficacy. MENU-AIDDs has been shown in the past to improve menu quality, dietary intake, body weight status, and gastrointestinal function. This is the first time a controlled examination has shown results for consumer participation and staff capacity considerations.